Vibrator



A. W. MALL Aug. 1, 1939.

VIBRATOR Filed June lO, 1937 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNiTED4 STATES eATENr lorries 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for compacting plastic materials.

My invention relates more 'particularly -to improvements in the construction of mass and form 5 vibrators and like devices. f 'I Vibrators of the type I have described are now well known on the market and havecome into general use during the last few years. One example of the specific type 'of vibrator to which I refer is shown in the patentto Arthur W. Mall issued March 9, 1937, Number 2,073,393. While this patent shows an embodiment of a commercially successful vibrator, certain advantages over the same reside in the improved structure which is described in the following specification.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide an improved vibrator construction far superior to all of the devices of the prior art.

A further object of my invention is to provide a vibrator having an improved resilient connection between the vibrator and the housing of the fiexible driveshaft.

A further object is to provide a reenforcement for the flexible housing at the pointof its connection to the vibrator housing.

A further object is to provide a connection between the iiexible shaft housing and the vibrator housing sui`1`ciently rigid to permit easy manipulation of the vibrator, yet sufficiently resilient to 30 prevent the shaking and vibrations of the vibrator from being transmitted along the flexible shaft housing.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein 35 reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings upon which- Fig. l is a side elevational view showing generally a motor, a flexible shaft and a vibrator; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 40 2 2 of Fig. 1 showing my improved connector between the vibrator and the flexible shaft.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate the same, I employ a motor I3, a flexible shaft I2 and a vibrator unit I4 45 secured to the motor by means of a flexible shaft housing I 6. The flexible shaft and housing may, of course, be of any desired length depending entirely upon the purpose for which the vibrator is employed and the distance that the motor must 50 be placed from where the work is to be done.

Referring to Fig. 2, the vibrator may be of the same general construction shown in the previously mentioned patent to Mall and include the housing I8 closed at its lower end by a hardened tip member 20 and having an open upper end 22.

A rotor member 24, provided with an offset weight V2S, is positioned within vthe vibrator shell I8, being suitably mounted upon ballbearing races 28 and 3B in thegends of the vibrator. The upper end of the rotor member 24 is formed Withaf slottedv opening 32 to engage the splined tip 34 of the usual flexible shaft 36. The shaft 35 may be enclosed in a shaft housing formed with a rigid shell member 38 adapted' to screw-threadedly engage the upper end 22 of the vibrator shell I8."10

The upper end of the housing 33 may be formed with a comparatively thin cylindrical wall adapted to telescopically receive the tubular end of the shaft housing 42. The end of the same abuts against a shoulder 44 in the housing 38 and 15 is held in place'by a pair of grooves 46 adapted to be spun into the cylindrical wall 40.

The bell-shaped shaft housing 42 may be constructed of rubberized fabric and has walls of sufficient thickness to closely encircle the flexible 20 Y shaft 36. A fiat coiled spring member 48 engaging the circular opening 5l] through the housing 42, serves to space the inner walls thereof away from the flexible shaft so there is no friction when the same is being operated.

The upper end of the rubberized fabric housing member 42 may be connected in a tubular ferrule of an end section 52 secured to the upper end of the housing. The section 52 is screw-threadedly connected to a coupling shell 54 which encloses a 30 tubular stub shaft 56 that is screw-threadedly connected at 58 to the upper end of the iexible shaft 36. The stub shaft 55 is formed with a splined upper opening 59 adapted to engage the tip end 55 of a second exible driveshaft 62. The 35 driveshaft 62 may be suitably mounted in a ferrule 64 Which has its upper end 66 connected to the usual flexible shaft housing 58. The ferrule 64 is formed with a lower threaded end 55 adapted to screw-threadedly engage in the coupling end 5l of 40 the member 54. The flexible shaft I2 and its housing I6 may be of an indeterminate length and are connected by a suitable coupling member Iii to the motor IU.

From the` above description it will be apparent that I have provided a construction wherein I employ a special iiexible shaft housing as a connector between the vibrator and the flexible shaft housing that is connected to the motor. The shaft housing 42, which I have described as being constructed of a rubberized fab-ric, is capable of absorbing the shaking and vibration that takes place at the vibratorwhen the sameis inA operation. As a result and because of the fact that the flexible driveshaft which is connected to the motor is not connected directly to the vibrator, it will be obvious that no vibration from the vibrator is transmitted to the motor. It will be further apparent that no vibration or shaking is transmitted to the section of flexible shaft that is of indeterminate length, thus adding greatly to the life of this unit. i

Because of the fact that it is sometimes necessary to pull the vibrator out of the concrete being Worked, over the board forms it will be obvious that the section 42 of the flexible shaft housing will readily take a bend of considerable radius and yet prevent the flexible shaft from being bent too sharply. It will be further apparent that because ofthe semi-rigidity of this member as compared with the usual flexible shaft` housing, it has advantage in the handling of the vibrator in placing the same into and out of the Work.

While I have illustrated and described a specic embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and variations may be made in the exact details shown and I do not wish to limit myself in any particular. Rather, what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

-1. An apparatus for compacting plastic materials comprising a vibratory member having an unbalanced weight therein, a flexible driveshaft operatively connected to said unbalanced weight, a housing for said exible shaft, a resilient member connecting said flexible shaft housing and said vibratory member, a second flexible shaft, a

housing at the upper end of said resilient member, a stub shaft connecting said flexible shafts and a flexible housing for said second flexible shaft.

2. In apparatus of the class described the combination of a vibrator housing, a vibrator member having an unbalanced weight thereon mounted in said housing, a flexible shaft for driving the same, a flexible housing for said shaft and a bellshaped rubberized fabric connector enclosing said shaft between the end of said flexible housing and said vibrator housing.

3. In apparatus of the class described the combination of a vibrator housing, a vibrator member having an unbalanced weight thereon mounted in said housing, a flexible shaft for driving the same, a flexible housing for said shaft, a bellshaped rubberized fabric connector enclosing said shaft between the end of said flexible housing and said vibrator housing, a rigid shell at the end of said fabric connector, a stub shaft therein, a second flexible shaft and a housing therefor connected to saidrigid shell.

4. An apparatus for compacting plastic materials comprising an elongated tubular vibrator housing, a rotary member mounted in said housing, an offset weight secured thereto and enclosed in said housing, a flexible drive shaft connected to said rotor, aflexible housing therefor and a semi-rigid resilient housingmember xedly conhousing and the end of said flexible shaft housing.

ARTHUR WILLIAM MALL.

nected between the open end of said vibrator 3,0 

